After an outmatched Ashe Bowman gave Josh Thomson (16-2) little more than a 74-second tune-up fight back in September, the Strikeforce world lightweight champion could get a major step up in competition come November.

After that non-title fight, Thomson will defend his belt for the first time at the organization's Nov. 21 "Destruction" event in San Jose, Calif.

Although no official opponent has been announced, Strikeforce executive Mike Afromowitz today confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that former IFL stand-out Chris Horodecki (12-1) and DREAM/UFC veteran Caol Uno (25-11-4) are under consideration for the fight.

Right now, though, the organization is simply in preliminary talks for the fighters' services.

"I can tell you that we are talking with both K-1 about having Josh fight Caol Uno and with Affliction about having Josh fight Chris Horodecki," Afromowitz said. "Again, nothing is set in stone."

Strikeforce has worked with Affliction before. In fact, when the clothing company turned MMA promotion hosted its first show back in July, Strikeforce loaned the organization Paul Buentello for an FSN-televised fight. Strikeforce also planned to lend Trevor Prangley to Affliction for a fight with Matt Lindland in October, but the event was recently postponed.

Horodecki became a free agent after the collapse of the IFL earlier this year and signed with Affliction in August.

The Canadian fighter, who turned pro just days after his 18th birthday, fought for the TKO organization before heading to the IFL. There, the now-21-year-old lightweight went 8-1 to become one of the organization's biggest stars. However, in a first-ever IFL lightweight title fight, he suffered a first-round TKO to Ryan Schultz. It remains the only loss of his career.

Uno, meanwhile, made his American debut and spent a two-year stint with the UFC from 2001-2003. Uno went 3-3-1 in the organization against the UFC's top 155-pounders, but after he fought B.J. Penn to a disastrous draw in the finale of a four-man lightweight tournament that was intended to crown a champion, the UFC soon abolished the division all together.

Uno returned home to Japan and began competing for K-1 HERO'S, which recently became the DREAM organization. Most recently, he suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Caol Uno in the semifinals of the DREAM lightweight grand prix. Despite the loss, Uno has won eight of his past 11 fights.

As for Thomson, who won the belt with a lopsided unanimous-decision victory over Gilbert Melendez in June, he'll go for his ninth consecutive victory.